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I suppose the Algonquin is an obvious pilgrimage for anyone with a fascination for the 1920s, but it certainly didn’t disappoint. The ambience conjured everything I imagined of a legendary literary bolthole and more importantly my White Russian was delicious, accompanied by superb bar snacks and delivered to me by a most solicitous and engaging pair of waiters. The place managed to make me feel like it was me who was the famous guest - the kind of sensation that will have me going back for more.

What began as an exhibit of Indian art in London in 1947 grew to become this New Delhi museum, now one of the largest in India. The pieces in the permanent collection (which stretches to some 200,000 items) span the globe—don’t miss the section on pre-Colombian art from the region that spans Central and South America—but the museum’s main focus is on representing thousands of years of Indian art and culture. The galleries showcase a wide array of topics, from coins, armor, and textiles to miniature painting, musical instruments, sacred texts, and tribal artifacts. Start at archaeology and work your way through.

Located in the heart of Orlando’s Little Vietnam district, this casual eatery does Pan-Asian cuisine perfectly, with a spread of affordable, piping-hot dishes inspired by hawker-style street food. It’s hardly a new concept in a city known for great Asian restaurants, but Mamak does it exceptionally well with small plates like beef bulgogi, golden roti canai bread, Indonesian nasi goreng, and a spectacular version of Malaysian char kway teow noodles. Come with a group so you can order a little bit of everything—it’s the kind of place where sharing just two dishes is nothing short of sin.

Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night fare, this bistro-style American eatery is located in the lobby of the historical Continental Bank, right in the middle of downtown. Chef Nathan Powers and his team draw locals working nearby, tourists from afar, and businesspeople looking to impress and woo clients. The menu for each of the meals served throughout the day is sophisticated but not overwhelming, and Powers slowly rotates items as the seasons change and new inspiration strikes. Bambara offers a number of seafood dishes and provides a range of portion sizes to accommodate different appetites.

Upon first glance, Circa Las Vegas revolves around sports betting: There’s a three-story sports book in the on-site casino and the pool deck features giant TV screens on one side and tiered, stadium-style pools and lounge chairs on the other. But the first new casino Downtown in more than 50 years also celebrates Vegas history: The design harkens back to Old Vegas dramatics, with art deco lighting in the high-limit areas of the casino and images of old-school gamblers inside the elevators. Owner Derek Stevens has even given a new permanent home to Vegas Vickie, a two-story neon kicking cowgirl who once graced the nearby stretch of Fremont Street known as “Glitter Gulch.” Vickie presides over an open foyer, seemingly nodding at guests as they wander around the casino.

Guest rooms at Circa—512 in all—have dark wood accents and carpets with geometric art deco motifs. Rooms in the Flex King category are equipped with king-size beds and couches that disappear when a second Murphy-style bed is pulled down from the wall. (Travelers who value selfies swear by the floor-length mirrors flanked by Green Room–style lighting.) Floor-to-ceiling windows offer epic views of either Stadium Swim or the Fremont Street Experience, a covered pedestrian walkway that forms the cultural and entertainment center of Downtown and was the main drag in the Vegas of yesteryear until the destination expanded with mega resorts to the south. The hotel also is a short walk from the unmissable Mob Museum, which offers a peek into the history of organized crime and runs a moodily lit speakeasy bar in the basement.

Related: 7 Hotels to Book for “Non-Vegas” People

Taking a nighttime stroll through Brooklyn, retracing George Washington’s footsteps as he was engaging British forces in Brooklyn and Long Island who went on to invade New York City in the summer of 1776 during the American Revolution (I love a good dose of American history). I paused for a moment to admire the ingenuity and design of the Brooklyn Bridge as well as the Manhattan skyline. Then I found myself humming Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind.”

After 80 some odd years as one of Houston’s most lauded and refined hotels, the historic Warwick Hotel went from Bach to rock, when new owners gave it a slick makeover and renamed it Hotel ZaZa in 2007. A bold beacon in the Museum District, the dimly lit hotel is a virtual playground for adults, with daring decor, baroque details, and an outdoor pool with private piazza-themed cabanas. While it maintains much of its original 1920s architectural elegance and details, including Baccarat chandeliers, the interior walls are splashed with modern art and iconic editorial-photo shots of beloved celebs.

Many rooms and event spaces are themed, including the space-inspired “Houston, We Have a Problem” Suite and the Conspiracy Room, which nods to Prohibition. A recent refresh includes newly renovated 11^th-floor meeting rooms, new mattresses, new carpet, spa and fitness center upgrades (including treatment room tweaks and the addition of innovative infrared saunas), and new in-room flat-screen TVs. Bottom line: even an overnight stay feels like a true escape.

Between 15th and 16th streets on Ninth Avenue in Chelsea, the Chelsea Market is a food court with New York attitude. Its restaurants and shops sell Australian meat pies, banh mi, and lobster rolls. These are no fast-food chains—this is a place to find cheese from upstate or that spice you can’t find at your supermarket. There is now a Posman Books and an Anthropologie outpost, but most of the places here stay true to the market’s culinary roots with Sarabeth’s, Ronnybrook Dairy, and Berlin Currywurst as good places to pick up food to eat on the spot or to take home. If you are looking for a hard-to-find kitchen gadget, the Bowery Kitchens store is almost sure to have it. The market is also ideally located if you want to purchase picnic supplies before ascending to the High Line if the weather is good.

For those seeking the thrill of paragliding at a much lower altitude, the Grindelwald ZipRider (known locally as the First Fleiger) provides the desired adrenaline rush. At 847 yards long, the zip-line hurtles visitors down the mountainside and over ski runs at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour. The attraction gets incredibly busy during the summer so arrive early to avoid long lines—dash, and don’t forget your camera. The views of Grindelwald village, surrounded by Alpine mountains and wandering cows, are unforgettable.

The constantly evolving Seaport District just got even cooler with the opening of Mr. C Seaport, the first New York City hotel from Maggio and Ignazio Cipriani. An intimate 66 rooms make up the seven-floor property, each one showcasing a rain shower, 50-inch interactive 4K television, and fine Italian linens by Casa Rovea. Timeless luxury is the goal here, evident in the rich textures, classic color schemes, and thoughtful collection of handmade Italian furniture. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted with an on-the-house Bellini, a gesture that pays homage to the classic cocktail created by Giuseppe Cipriani in 1948. It’s also a nod to the hotel’s restaurant Bellini, which offers an array of rustic Italian dishes (think lasagna Bolognese and bucatini cacio e pepe). When guests feel like venturing beyond hotel limits, they have a couple of options for wheels: a fleet of 2018 Lincoln Navigators for rides within 15 blocks, and a custom collection of Mr. C Seaport bicycles by Fourth Floor Distribution.

Opened in April 2001, this Central Business District property, a converted dry-goods warehouse, is a departure from the typical New Orleans hotel. Instead of fleur-de-lis wallpaper and Louis XIV chairs, you’ll find Fortuny lamps, Herman Miller desk chairs, and Agape “Spoon” tubs in the palatial bathrooms. The 18 lofts (two are penthouses), with their white walls, concrete floors, and modern furnishings, feel straight out of the pages of Dwell.

The hotel doesn’t have the amenities of a larger hotel; the lobby is meant for checking in, not hanging out, and there’s no restaurant or bar to prop up, but guests have privileges at the sister hotel, International House. And, most significantly, the fact that there are just 18 rooms means that from the minute you check in, the front desk team knows you.

It’s easy to pass by Taylor’s Kitchen and not realize there is a fantastic restaurant inside...I had visited the neighboring shops without noticing the new restaurant, but I knew I had to visit once I heard people raving about the food. Taylor’s Kitchen uses ingredients from local farms and ranchers to create vibrant dishes that reflect the seasons of this agricultural region of California. This is not unlike many new restaurants in Sacramento, but what Taylor’s Kitchen does so well is create consistently good food. The restaurant is elegant yet cozy, suited to couples or small groups. The menu changes frequently based on what’s seasonally available and is a great reflection of Sacramento’s commitment to farm-to-fork dining.

Well, my favorite beach at Washington Ave. in Avon, New Jersey is ready for the Summer of 2013. After the severe damage to our area beaches and beach towns, New Jersey is “Stronger than the Storm.” On June 15th, the season will begin. Not everything is the way it was, but the boards are down, the beaches are replenished, and you can buy your beach badge because the Jersey Shore is open for beach goers. The little shops and many restaurants are operating out of trailers. Many are being rebuilt. And the rebuilding goes on. So, I’m ready and can’t wait. Let’s hope for good weather.

New Orleans’ cemeteries are part of the city’s culture as well as its landscape—and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest and most famous. Opened in 1789 on the edge of the French Quarter, the cemetery is home to the tomb of Marie Laveau, a free woman of color who earned a reputation as the city’s most powerful voodoo queen in the 1800s. Her tomb is littered with tributes (money, alcohol, candy, trinkets) left by those who hope the queen will grant their desires from beyond the grave. In the Garden District, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 made a cameo in several movies, including Interview with a Vampire and Double Jeopardy. Save Our Cemeteries, a non-profit dedicated to cemetery restoration and preservation, runs tours of both St. Louis No. 1 and Lafayette No. 1.

I hadn’t been awake for longer than a minute. I peeled back the tarp door to my room, walked out onto my deck, and leapt. It was an abrupt but purifying way to start the day. The cool, brackish water instantly defogged my mind, and my eyes opened to see the surrounding Tatai River and dense Cambodian rain forest. A lone sampan, anchored along an islet, was the only man-made object to interrupt the natural scenery. My chic bungalow lightly swayed on the calm water behind me, an incongruous encampment against the wild jungle backdrop.

Located on the southern tip of the Cardamom Mountains, near the Gulf of Thailand, the 4 Rivers Floating Lodge lives up to its name. The retreat’s 12 landless suites all float on their own buoyant platforms, moored to the riverbank. Outfitted with a ceiling fan, armoire, and wood-paneled shower, each of the towering, safari-style tented rooms also provides a nearly 360-degree view of the tropical landscape. A boardwalk connects the rooms to a central lounge and dining area decorated in a muted variety of Miami Beach sleek.

At first blush, getting to this secluded outpost might seem daunting. Guests can arrive by boat, drive, come by cab or take a bus from Phnom Penh: I took a five-hour bus trip from Phnom Penh, followed by a half-hour longboat ride from the village of Tatai. But the journey is well worth the peaceful reward. The Cardamom Mountains contain the largest and most intact evergreen rain forest in mainland Southeast Asia. For decades, the region was largely off-limits to developers because of land mines and fighting between government forces and the Khmer Rouge militia. This very isolation protected the area’s natural habitat, which is now home to scores of endangered species, including Asian elephants, hairy-nosed otters, and Siamese crocodiles.

Mine-clearance efforts and the end of hostilities have made travel here safe for more than 10 years, but it remains a sparsely populated frontier. The area’s remoteness is remarkable in and of itself. In the afternoon, I took a boat ride to the Tatai waterfall with several other guests. Even our skipper, a young Cambodian man who leads visitors on these trips every day, was still in awe of the lush surroundings. “So quiet and beautiful,” he said, looking at the palm trees along the river’s edge. After we arrived at our destination, I spent the rest of the day sitting beneath the waterfall’s forceful but soothing cascades, letting nature’s masseuse relax my muscles.

I returned to the lodge for dinner beneath an orange and purple sunset. On the restaurant’s uncovered patio, the only sound accompanying the clang of my utensils was the soft splash of kingfishers swooping to pluck fish from the river. I was less delicate, digging into skewers of mozzarella, watermelon, and fresh shrimp and a plate of steamed river fish topped with a basil cream sauce. In the lingering twilight, I sipped a gin and tonic on my private terrace before easing under my bedsheets. As the gently undulating waters rocked me to sleep, any illusions I had about roughing it in the wilderness drifted away. —Brendan Brady